Is the CW40 in particular prone to problems?

[RogerP9fan]

I've been reading and seeing on YouTube various reports of the CW40 having jamming problems, FTF etc....even after the break-in period. These folks say the Kahr polymer .40 calibers in particular are prone to problems even long after the break in, is it true?

[Mudinyeri]

Not mine.

[slowpoke]

Not mine.
However:
Anything can be prone to problems if not used correctly or not maintained.
When held too loose, lots of auto loaders will fail.

Something else to consider is were the various videos inspired by Kahr's competition? As good as the CW40 is, it's sure to have created some sour grapes among it's competitors. Competitors that have loyal employees that have many different social web accounts.

[RogerP9fan]

Good points. Perhaps some of these folks were limp wristing, I know Glocks don't function well that way and I imagine the same is true with any lightweight powerful pistol.

[rickmn50]

I am sure this is in reference to the single stack magazine that the CW series uses. I do have issues using a full mag. When I use one chambered and 6 in the mag I don't have issues. You just have to work around it.

[johnatw]

Mine works perfectly, about 2500 rounds and 18 months of shooting

[RogerP9fan]

Thanks guys, hey, I've heard the recoil is pretty intense with the CW40.....and that's it's much less with the K40, your thoughts?

[slowpoke]

I shoot 155 gr ammo with mine and it don't beat me up at all. It has a little bounce to it but nothing to be alarmed about. The same trash came out when the Firestar 40 came out. Gun Mag writers were saying that it had an "awesome kick" and "uncontrollable torque". I don't think they even shot the thing. I think the same is true with the CW40.

Shooting the CW40 has convinced me that my next gun will be a PM40.

[jlottmc]

Recoil is not something to be feared. All the hype about recoil is just that hype. Shoot the silly thing and learn to love it. I have never found even a 500 mag or a 375 H&H that unpleasant. Then again, it boils down to proper technique, and an understanding that recoil won't hurt you. Just my thoughts.

[Bawanna]

I'm not recoil sensitive and truely enjoy it immensely from time to time. I've shot some insanely heavy recoil handguns and rifles in my day.
I do feel much differently when talking CCW guns. Self defense is no time to see if you can catch the brush on fire with your muzzle blast, or knock yourself out when the recoil drives the gun into your forhead.
I have a K 40. Owned it and carried it along time with no issues. It bucks some and I find it's right at the threshold where anymore flip and I'd now use it for defense. I sent it to Magna Port with no regrets, it looks cool and toned it down some but it's still border line to much. It's very heavy compared to the PM's. I much prefer my PM45. The recoil is very modest and muzzle flip is quite controllable for quick followup shots.
I kind of think when parish the thought I'm in a bad spot, all the marbles will be in the other fellas sack, so I want everything as good as I can get it on my end to help me win. I'm confident with my K40 but it ain't my first choice for daily CCW carry.

[skychief12]

I've heard the recoil is pretty intense with the CW40.....and that's it's much less with the K40, your thoughts?

Recoil management is a technique. If you try to fight recoil you will lose every time. I find my CW40 to be very mild especially for such a light gun.

The benefit of delivering a more potent round than the 9mm is well worth the effort to learn to manage the .40 cal recoil IMHO. It might be worth your time to take a look at "Beyond Fundamentals" by Brain Enos.

[Goldstar225]

I'm still trying to get my CW40 squared away. Everything about the gun is great but, the slide lock will engage on about 2 out of 10 magazines on average. Completely random with rounds remaining in the magazine (No, it is not the slide lock spring). It is about to be sent back to Kahr for the second time (they've paid shipping both times).

I'm hoping Kahr can sort it out because I really like all other aspects of this gun. The recoil has not been an issue for me.

[oldtex]

I've been reading and seeing on YouTube various reports of the CW40 having jamming problems, FTF etc....even after the break-in period. These folks say the Kahr polymer .40 calibers in particular are prone to problems even long after the break in, is it true?

I don't think anyone who isn't a member of Kahr management would actually have accurate hard data on reliability of various Kahr models.

Having said that, there is a belief among many folks in the firearms world that most autoloading gun designs tend to work best in the caliber that the particular gun was designed around originally. For example, this thinking goes something like this: generally speaking 1911s work best when chambered in .45 ACP, Glocks work best in 9mm, SIG 226s work best in 9mm, etc. The original Kahr was a 9mm.

While I would expect that most .40 Kahrs (including the CW40) work just fine, I also expect that the risk of getting a problematic .40 Kahr is greater than the risk of getting a problematic 9mm Kahr, all other factors being equal.

[cal3g]

Recoil is about the same on a Kahr CW40 as it is on my Sig P239 .40. Nothing to fear at all. I have had some airweight revolvers that have one hell of a snap but of course there is nothing to really stop the recoil. If the .40 recoil is too much for some, maybe a 9mm would be best for them. I have a cousin who refuses to shoot anything other than 9mm pistols, he is so afraid of recoil that I have seen him close his eyes just as he pulls the trigger...YIKKES:eek:

[RogerP9fan]

LOL BOOOOOYYYYAAAA .40 cal pow comin atcha. Hold on, it's a powerful round. I prefer my awesome Kahr in 9mm. Peace.

[noslolo]

After the 250 round break in period I have had no issues. During the break in period I had the slide lock open twice. When it locked open it really made me think twice about my choice of carry gun. I bit my lip and and finished the break in period and low and behold no issues!